Peter Groff was announced today as the president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff was announced today as the new president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools — the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement.

“This is an exciting time for the charter sector, and I am excited to be here,” Groff said in a statement released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “We are poised to change the face of public education. As the organization continues its work to shape public opinion and influence policy on charter schools, I am committed to ensuring our voice will be a critical part of the education reform discussion.”

Groff was announced as the group’s leader on the final day of the 10th annual National Charter Schools Conference, which was held in Chicago and attracted more than 4,000 attendees.

Prior to that, Groff had served for nine years in Colorado’s Senate, beginning in 2001, and was the 47th president of the Senate. He was the first African-American in Colorado to hold that post and only the third African-American in the nation’s history to hold the gavel as a state Senate president.

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